Presidential line of succession

In July 2005, Senate Bill 442: "A bill to provide for the Secretary of Homeland Security to be included in the line of Presidential succession", sponsored by Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), and House Resolution 1455 proposed: If President George W. Bush was unable to serve, he would be replaced by Vice President Dick Cheney, who would be followed by House Speaker Dennis Hastert, the Associated Press reported July 26, 2005. Last in line of succession would be the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

"The Constitution, however, requires that the president be a natural-born citizen, so Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, born in Cuba—and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, born in Taiwan, would be ineligible," the AP wrote.

Statement by The Honorable Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senator from Vermont, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Ensuring the Continuity of the United States Government: The Presidency, September 16, 2003. Posted by Global Security.